“First of its kind” UK garage musical to head to London, Bangers

A “first of its kind” UK garage musical is set to head to London’s Arcola Theatre next month.

Bangers opens at the Dalston theatre on July 17 and will run for three weeks until August 10, featuring a live DJ in a “blend of theatre and gig”.

Written by Danusia Samal and directed by Chris Sonnex, Bangers appears on stage for the first time since its debut at Edinburgh Fringe last year, and a run of shows at Soho Theatre across 2023.

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Bangers now debuts with a regular show featuring an all-new cast, telling the stories of “love, sex and the power of music” in a “love letter to UK garage” featuring a mix of early ‘00s and modern R&B and UKG.

“An exhilarating night of original music, lyrical storytelling and pure UK garage vibes, Bangers sees two headliners crossfade between stories of love, sex and the power of music across one night where their lives intersect,” reads a description of the show.

Bangers features a live DJ and narrator who soundtracks the “struggles" of two protagonists, Aria and Clef, as they "hurtle towards the future”.

"Like Aria, for a period of my life, I disengaged from music - even though it was such a big part of my life growing up and has shaped who I am today," Bangers writer Danusia Samal tells Mixmag.

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"As I wrote this play, those sounds came back into my life. I fell in love again. Music is the great unifier - and what bonds people more than UK garage?"

The show’s producers, SH Productions, also announced a “community-driven wrap-around activity” alongside the theatre run in collaboration with Arcola, Cardboard Citizens, and Cardboard Collective.

The community events are set up to support young creatives with an interest in theatre and music, and those dealing with "the themes discussed in the show, such as housing insecurity, homelessness, and the challenges of growing up in urban areas”.

Bangers kicks off every night at 7:30PM at Dalston’s Arcola Theatre with a 70-minute run-time. Grab your tickets and find out more here.

Gemma Ross is Mixmag's Assistant Editor, follow her on Twitter